This invention relates to a foundation for a manufactured home, mobile home or trailer coach, and more specifically to a foundation that provides vertical support and lateral stability.
Manufactured homes, mobile homes or trailer coaches include long longitudinal support beams underneath. Typically, when the home or coach is installed, a plurality of vertical piers or jacks are placed under the beams to support them. Most piers or jacks require placement on a rigid ground pan so as not to sink into the ground from the loading.
Conventional piers do not provide resistance to lateral forces that may be exerted on the coach, such as by strong winds or earthquakes. Consequently, additional bracing systems must be attached to resist lateral forces.
Since all of these support and bracing devices have to be installed in the field, it is desirable that they be simple to install, preferably by a single person, not require complex tools and not require any alterations to the existing beams, such as drilling, that could deleteriously affect the strength of the beams.
This invention is a foundation for a manufactured home having first and second elongate, horizontal, parallel, support beams; the first beam being supported by an upright support pier and the second beam having a lateral flange.
The foundation generally comprises a ground pan and a lateral brace assembly. The ground pan, disposed on the ground beneath the pier, includes cleats for insertion in the ground for preventing horizontal movement of the pan. The lateral brace assembly generally includes an elongate lateral brace of adjustable length having an upper end pivotably attached by a beam connector to the second beam and a lower end pivotably attached to the ground pan.
The beam connector includes a bracket including a traversing portion traversing the outer surface of the flange of the second beam and a slot adapted for receiving a beam flange such that upward and downward forces are transferred between the lateral brace and the flange, and compressive lateral forces are transferred from the lateral brace to the flange. A vertical retainer, such as a bolt, is attached to the bracket for bearing on the opposite side of the beam from the slot, such that tensile lateral forces are transferred from the beam to bracket.